Description

Autonomous weapons have been a staple trope in science fiction for years. But now the possibility of fully autonomous weapons is becoming much closer to reality. Developments in artificial intelligence technology have reached a point where the deployment of such systems is feasible within years, not decades. The key question for humanity today is whether to start a global killer robots arms race or to prevent it from starting.

Mr. Hannon will provide an overview of the current status both nationally and internationally on efforts to address these future weapons. He will also outline a possible game plan to prevent the development, production, and use of fully autonomous weapons through a global ban on all weapons that fail to meet the standard of “meaningful human control” over individual attacks. In his remarks, Paul will also draw on lessons learned from the 1997 Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty.

Speaker’s Biography

Paul Hannon is the Executive Director of Mines Action Canada (MAC), the Canadian member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), which was awarded the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, and one of the co-founders in 2013 of the global Campaign to Stop Killer Robots.

Registration

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Branch-based Contact Person:  halifax@thecic.org